Vehicle signal



vEHIcLE. SIGNAL Findlay 25,` 1925 s snms-sne 1 INVENTOR AITORNEY June 14? 1927' E. ANDEWRsoN VEHICLE SIGNAL Filed May 25, 1925 s sheets-sheet 2 ATTORNEY WITNESS ,June 14,1927.

E. ANDERSON VEHICLE SIGNAL Filed May 25, 1925 s sheets-sheet 5' imil# L y l l l 63/ .-afyaf/fizff, 1 y I mvEN-roR WITNESS: lA1'`ORNEY tor vehicles and the like,

Patented .lune 14, 1927.

UNITED STAT Esj PATENT y oFF-ICE.

EDGB ANDERSQN, 0F WAKEFIELD, NEBRASKA.

VEHICLE SIGNAL.-

Application led May 25, 1925. Serial No. 32,791.

1 and traflic congestion. A

v it is unnecessary-for the operator to remove ings, I have shown the device as comprising An important object is the provision of v a device of this character which is so constructed and arranged as to be set in opera-y tion merely by touching a push button, thisv being a very safe arrangement inasmuch as his hands from the steering wheel as is the case when the ordinary arm signal isgiven.

Another object is the provision of a device of this character in which the movement of the various parts is controlled by an electric motor interposed in circuit with a suitable push button within easy reach of the operator, the device being furthermore equipped with an automatic circuit breaker which will act to cut off the motor when thesignal has reached its operative position.

A still further object ofthe invention is to provide a device of. this character which is provided with an automatically acting circuit maker s`o as to cause-energizationof an vincandescent bulb when the signal reaches ysignaling position, this feature makino" the device equally' effective by night as byday.

`Yet another object is the provision of a.

device of this-character .which is easily capable of being manufactured and sold as al compiete and` separate entity adapted for attachment upon already existing automo`V biles or other vehicles without involving any changes inthe vice being moreover comparatively simple and inexpensive in manufacture, easy 1n mstallation, positive in action', efficientl and Adurable in service, and a general improvement in the art.

vWith theabove and other objects and advantages 'in view, the invention consists in s the details of construction and arrangement and combina-tion of parts' to be hereinafter' more fully described and claimed, and illus trated in the which# accompanying drawings, in

construction thereof, the desection through the device showing the sig-v nal member in entirely retracted position.

Figure 8 is a diagram of the electric circiut.

Referring more particularly to the drawa suitable casing 10 which may be of any desired size, shape and material, and which may be provided with any suitable means such as that indicated at 11 whereby to effect mounting upon the top, windshield or other suitable portion ofan automobile. Located within the bottom portion of the casing and held in any desired manner is a guide 12 having a T-shaped slot 13 therein and equipped with a plurality of rollers14 located at the top and bottom of the slot.

`The slot is of such formation that its vertical portion extends upwardly through the top of the guide. Slidably mounted for long'itudinal movement within the casing is one section 15 of the signal arm, this section extending through the vertical portion of the T-shaped slot in thel guide and having its lower edge formed with horizontally extending lateral flanges 16 engaging between the upper and lower rollers 1n the guide where! by the member 15 will have free and almost I frictionless movement. s A

Mounted within the casing upon .a sultable standard 17 is an electric motor 18 of anydesired type having itsshaft 19 carrymg a pinion 20 adapted to coact with a rack 21 formed or secured upon'the upper edge of the arm section 15. The rack 21 does not extend the full length of the arm section 15 and journaled at the innerM upper corner of this arm section is a pinion 22 carrying agrooved pulley 23. The arrangement is such that when the motor is energized and the pinion 20 has Aeo ilo

moved .the arm section\1\5"t9 A its outermost position the pinion 20 will then y the pulley 23 for a purpose to be described.

Ordinarily, the arm section 15-is held in its retracted position by means of a cord or other flexible member 24 secured to and" wrapped about a drum 25 with which is-connected a spring 26 which acts normally to.

maintain the drum in a certain position. Theilexible member 24 is trained over a `suitable uide roller or pulley 27 and is connected with the rear or inner end of the arm section 15.

The'outer end portion of the arm section 15 is formed with an' o ening 28 within which is ordinarily locate a signal member 29 formed preferably as the representation of av human hand although of course capable of being formed as any other type of pointer. This member 29 is pivoted by means of a transverse 'bolt or the like 30 so as to be capable of swinging outwardly into extended position by means vto be described. This member 29 carries a pulley or drum 31-about which is trained a iiexible member 32 which is also trained about the pulleyv23 so that when the gear 22 is rotated the'member 29- will be swung in one direction or the other.

For normally holding the member 29 in its inoperative position within the opening 28, use may be made of a coil spring 33 connected at one end with the member 15 and at its other end with the pivoted end portion of the member 29.

The member 15 is of course moved intoV extended position by rotation of the motor and for holding it in such extended position I provide a catch device formed with an elongated member 34 ivoted intermediate its ends upon the mem er 15 and having a lateral end ortion 35 adapted te engage within a notc 36 in the bottom of the casing 10 or in the bottom portion of the guide 12 therein. 'A coilspring 37 acts to urge this lateral end into en agement with the notch. The other end of t e member 34 terminates in a wedge or cam shaped head 38 extending into the opening 28 in'position to be engage by the member29 when the latter is swung to be located within the gpening 28. When the arm member 15 is p led outwardly by the motor it is obvious that the end 35 of .the catch will engage within the notch 36 and hold the armA extended. I l

Similarly holding means must be provided for the swingable member 29 and in carrying out this feature I provide a catchv 39 pivoted at 40 upon the member 29 and havlng a lateral or upward extension 41 adapted to be enga ed within a recess 42 in the upper portion o the arm member' 15 and communicating with the o ening 28. The

. end of the arm orlatch 39 carries an armature 43 so positioned as to be attracted by a small electro-magnet 44 mounted within they member 15 above the opening 28 thereln 'he press upon t This magnet is connected in parallel with the motor as will be explained.

The electrical features of the device are as followsz The numeral 45 designates a suitable source of current which may be the storage battery of the car, which source of current has one terminal grounded as at 46. Connected with the other terminal is a wire or otlier conductor 47 leading to a push button or other switch 48 which is connected by a Wire 49 with one terminal of the motor 18. Leading from the other terminal of the motor is a wire .50 which connects with a contact 51 .mounted on the upper edge of the swingable vsignal member 29 and normally en aged by the latch 39. This latch is grouned at 52 being normally depressed and in operation vrelative to the magnet 44 which when the circuit controller is operated and the motor set into operation drives out the semaphore and when fully extended brings the latch 39 into operative relation to the magnet and cuts out the motor. One

leading into a recess 56 within .which is mounted a suitable socket 57 for an incandescent lamp 58 of the single terminal type.l One terminal of the lamp or lamp socket is grounded at 59 while the other terminal is connected by.a wire 60 with a contact 61 mounted on the lower edge of the member 29 in position to engage against a stationaryl contact 62 mounted at the outer lower end of the member 15 when the member 29 is swung into its extended' position. The contact 62'has connected therewith a wire 63 which connects with 'the wire 47 so thatthe lamp will burn continuously.

In the operation of the device, it will be seen that whenever the driver of the vehicle contemplates making a turn to the left or stopping suddenl it is merely necessary that liepush button 48. When this is done the motor 18 and magnet 44 will be energized. As 'the motor armature revolves the pinion 20 carried by its shaft and meshing with -the rack 21 will operate to slide the signal arm member 15 out of the" 1,es2,ese

22 is brought/into engagement with the'pinion 2Ol whereupon the roller 23 will be rotated. The rotation of this roller causes 4movement ofthe belt or flexiblemember 32 will act to hold the member 29' in its extended and signaling position. As soon as4 the member 29 has reached its signaling posi-`I tion the contact 61 carried thereby will engage against the contact-62 carried by the lower outer corner of the member 15 so that the circuit will be closed through the lamp 58. Thedisplay o-this light will make the signal very conspicuous both at night and at day so that there will be no likelihood of the signal being overlooked. Attention is directed to the fact that the device will remain 'in' signaling. position as long as the operatoi holds the push button 48 depressed inasmuch as the energization of the electi'omagnet 44 will maintain the latch 39 in its operative position holding the parts against movement. v

Whenfthe contemplated turn has been 'y' made ,and the-operator wishes to discontinue giving the signal it is merely necessary -that he release the pressure upon the push button 48, whereupon the electro-magnet 444 be'- comes vde-energized, lpermitting the latch member 39 to drop down out of the recess 42 and into its normal position resting upon the upper edge of the member-29. The coil spring 33 will then operate to swing the member 20 horizontally into its inoperative osition within the opening 28 in the memr'15. When this swinging movement occnrsthe lower edge of the member 29 will strike against the Wedge-or cani-like head 38 p of the latch member 34 and swing the latch member in such away that the rear angular\extend `pinion carriedl by the first named member at the" end of the rack, a pulley carried by end -35 thereof will be' disenga d; from the notch 36. When this occurs' t ere is then nothing to hold the member 15 in position .and the flexible member 24 connected therewith and trained about the spring roller will operate' to retractthe memberl into the casing 10.

From the foregoing4 description and a study of the drawings, it will be a parent that I 'have thus providedfa simpy constructed, inexpensive and yet highly eicient signal device which li's purely electrically `operated and vehicle of the necessity for holding out his hand as a si nal that he intends to turn or stop. It is elieved that the construction, operation and advantages will be readily apparent to oneskilled in the art without further elaboration. t .l

-While I have shown and describedthe preferredv embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that I reserve the right `to make such changes in the form, construction and 'arrangement of parts as will not depart fromthe spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined'claims.

Having thus described the invention, I claim: i

1. In a signal device of the character described,a casing, an arm member slidably mounted within the casing and adapted to be moved into projected positionmotor operated means for moving saidl arm member, a second member hingedly mounted upon said first named member and swingable horizontally into extendedy position, and means operated at the completion of the projecting movement ofthe first named member for swinging the second named member.

2.` In a'device'of the character described, i

a casing', an arm member slidably mounted within said casing and .adapted to'be projected therebeyond, 4a rack carried by said member, an electric motor within the casing having its shaft carrying a pinion meshing with said rack, a second member pivotally'.

mounted upon said first named member and normally contained there-within and -means operable by the motorwhen the first named member reaches its projected position for swinging the second named member into exf- Atended position.

3. In a device of the character described, a casing, an a'rm memberslidably mounted within said casin and adapted to be pro-` jected therebeyon a rack carried by said member, an electric motor within the .casing having its shaft carrying a pinion meshing with said rack, ay 'second member pivotally mounted upon said first named member and iio normally contained there-Within and means operable by the motor when the first named Amember reaches its projected position for the secondf named member in an Swingigg position, said means comprising a said lastnamed inion', a pulley on said sec- 4. Ina device of the character described, A

a casing, an arm member slidably mounted within said casing and adaptedlto be projected therebeyond,` a rackcarried by said member, an electric motor within the casing having its shaft carrying a pinion meshing with said rack, a second member pivotally which will relieve the driverof a normally contained there-within, means operable by the motor when the first named member reaches its projected position for swingin the second named member in an extende position, said means comprising a pinion carried by the first named member at the end' of the rack, a pulley carried by said last named pinion, a pulley on said sec- Vond namedamember at its pivot, a flexible member trained about said pulleys, spring means connected with said first named member and normally maintaining it in retracted position within the casing, and spring means connected with said secondnamed member and normally holding it confined within the first named member.

5. In a device of the character described, a casing, an arm member slidably mounted within said casing and adapted to be pro- `jected therebeyond, a rack carried by said member, an electric motor within the casing havlng its shaft carrying a ,pinion meshing with said rack, a second member pivotallyv.

mounted upon said first named member and normally contained' there-within and means operable by the motor when the first named member reaches its projected position forI Swingin 'the second named member in an extiende position,.said means comprising a pinion carried by the first named member at the end of the rack, a. pulley carried by said last named pinion, a pulley onsaid second named member at its ivot, a flexible member trained about sald pulleys, an

electro-magnet carried by said first named tracted. and engaged b .member, a pivoted latch carried by the sec- .normally contained there-within, means op; erable by the motor when the first named member reaches its projected. position for swinging the second named member in an extended position, said means comprisin a pinion carried by the first named mem er at the end of the rack, a pulley carried by said last named pinion, a pulley on said second named member at its pivot, a flexible member trained about said pulleys, an electro-magnet carried by said first named `membei", a pivoted latch carried by the sec-r ond named memberand positioned to be attracted and engaged by the electro-magnet for holding the second named member in extended position, and a circuit breaker interposedf in the electric motor circuit-and including said latchrwhereby to cut out the motor when the second named member reaches extended position.

EDGAR ANDERSON.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. A

named member in 

